


Beauty and the Beck

by multifandomgal



Category: Battle for London in the Air (Roleplay)
Genre: F/M, Fairytale Au?, almost LITA proper?, its exactly what you think it is, pairing roulette challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:54:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29537829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifandomgal/pseuds/multifandomgal
Relationships: Liz Maximoff/Thaddeus Beck
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Liz checked the clock above the shop door. Six o'clock. He should have been back by now.

Hours went by. Seven o'clock, eight... Honestly, it was just one small repair job on the upper platforms, how long could it take?

At eight thirty, Liz decided that something must have happened, and started getting ready to head off. Her father had left a slip of paper with the address of the house call on in case of emergencies, and, in Liz's mind at least, this certainly was one. Hurriedly, she threw on her coat and went outside, locking the shop door behind her.

It was a bit of a trek up to the higher platforms of London-in-the-Air, especially in the winter evening air, but Liz was determined, and eventually reached her destination. Behind an imposing wrought iron gate loomed an impressive gothic manor house, surrounded by an expansive garden. Thankfully, the gate was unlocked, so Liz quickly headed in. The gate's hinges squealed as she closed it behind her, making her want to come back with a pot of oil... but there was no time to think about that now! She had to find her father first.

After a short walk up the (unnecessarily long) driveway, Liz knocked on the enormous oak front door. It swung open as if by itself, making yet another unholy screeching noise. Liz gritted her teeth before venturing into the gloomy hallway. There were no lamps lit, and most of the furnishings around her were black, which made it almost impossible to see. Thankfully, Liz found a box of matches by rooting around in a nearby drawer, and used one to light an ornate candelabra.

"Hello? Anyone here? Dad?" she called out as she wandered the halls. Her voice echoed off the vaulted ceilings, but there was no other reply. She'd just have to keep searching.

Liz had just started heading up the grand central staircase when she heard footsteps coming from the second floor. As she looked in the direction of the sound she saw what looked like someone in a cape stalking away. 

"Excuse me!" she shouted. When there was no response, she did the only other thing she could think of, and ran after it.

Whatever it was, it was surprisingly fast, but Liz didn't give up. She chased it through portrait-adorned corridors, up hidden spiral staircases, and, eventually, to what appeared to be a small tower. There was nowhere for it to run now.

Liz threw open the door and saw the hooded figure lurking in the shadows next to some kind of prison cell. Though part of her wanted to give whatever it was a piece of her mind, she was currently far more concerned about the fact that inside the cell, sitting on the floor, was a familiar figure. Her father.

"Liz! What are you doing here?" Lucas Maximoff exclaimed, as she ran over to him.

"Coming to find you of course! You forgot your keys, so I was waiting for you to get home so I could lock up the shop - what happened?"

"Well, you should really be asking _him_ that..." her father glared pointedly at the cloaked figure, who was still looming at the edge of the room.

Liz turned to face him. "You. Why have you locked my dad up in here? He came to do a simple repair job - this is uncalled for!"

The figure stepped forward, but his face was still cloaked in shadow as he spoke: "Yes, a simple repair job... except he couldn't complete it. And I cannot allow him to leave with the job unfinished, not after... what he's seen..."

"I haven't seen anything!" Lucas protested, before starting to cough.

Liz leapt to his side again, but kept her eyes on the hooded man. "You heard him - he hasn't seen anything. Even if he had, you have no right to keep him locked up in here! All this dust is not helping your lungs, dad..."

"He cannot leave until the work is done!" the man retorted, "and I'll have you know this dust is for _atmospheric_ purposes."

Liz almost laughed. "Fine. If you need someone to stay and fix... whatever it is you need fixing, then _I'll_ stay. But let my father go!"

Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but on seeing his daughter's face, he knew there was no changing her mind. The hooded man, however, had no idea who he was dealing with. "You? Stay and do the job? But- but you're a woman!" he exclaimed.

"So?" replied Liz and her father, in unison.

"M-mechanics... it's a man's job!"

Liz really did laugh this time. "Man's job or not, I'm still the best gadgeteer in the city. Plus, unlike my dear father, I am unlikely to be killed by the 'atmospheric' dust that apparently covers your home. So, do we have a deal?"

The hooded man stuttered for a moment, then reluctantly unlocked the cell before extending a gloved hand to Liz. "Fine. We have a deal. But you cannot leave the manor until my project is complete, and your father must never breathe a word of this to anyone!"

Liz raised an eyebrow, but there was no getting out of this one. She shook the hooded man's hand.


	2. Chapter 2

The arrangement made, the cloaked man promptly led Liz's father back through the manor to the front door, and told him to leave immediately. Liz tried to protest - it was freezing cold and dark outside, after all - but her complaints fell on deaf ears. She barely had time to say goodbye and pass her father the keys to the shop before the heavy doors screeched shut once more.

"Now, I'll show you to your room, then I shall bring you the designs I need... assistance with," the man announced.

Liz glared at him. "My room? Don't you mean my cell?"

"No. You've been... somewhat compliant, so you'll be treated as my guest for now."

Liz was sceptical, but also exhausted from a long and unusual day, so, reluctantly, she followed.

The room in question was, much like the rest of the house, painted black from floor to ceiling, and full of lavish furnishings. It wasn't to Liz's taste at all, but she doubted she'd be here long. 

"Wait here. I'll just fetch those plans," said the hooded man. He didn't wait for a response before dramatically swishing his cape and leaving.

Liz rolled her eyes, then started absentmindedly exploring the room. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a large portrait above the mantlepiece; it showed a pale young man with dark curly hair, but his face was obscured by a large slash in the canvas. Despite this, Liz quickly worked out who the subject was - the same portrait had featured in several newspaper articles a few years ago about some mysterious goings-on on the upper platforms of the city...

"Here you go," announced her host, re-entering the room with his arms full of sketches and blueprints, "all of the plans you'll need. I can't tell you what they're for, but know that they are of great importance and must be corrected as soon as-"

"This is you, isn't it?" Liz interrupted. She was sick of hearing his voice, and wanted to see if her deductions were correct.

When the man fell silent, she continued: "You're Thaddeus Beck, that young lord who went missing ten years ago. You've been hiding here in your dusty old mansion, and that's why you didn't want us to talk!"

"... You are correct," her host, Thaddeus, admitted. He sounded annoyed, as if he never expected anyone to uncover his secret, let alone a woman who had been in his home for less than an hour.

"So why are you hiding? If I'm going to be staying here, I might as well know."

"I must stay isolated from the rest of society, for I have been cursed to be ugly for eternity!" Thaddeus spoke like he was reciting a Shakespeare monologue to a crowd of thousands. Clearly, he'd been waiting years to tell someone his tale of woe.

"Cursed? Really?" Liz was honestly quite amused by his theatrics.

"You do not believe me? See for yourself!" Thaddeus dropped the papers and threw back his hood, revealing... a pale young man with dark curly hair.

"You don't look ugly or cursed to me," said Liz, flatly.

Thaddeus gasped, stepped closer to her, and demanded "Look at my face! Look at it!"

"I _am_ looking, and there's nothing wrong with it."

"Yes there is! Look! My beautiful, alabaster skin, as pristine as that of Michelangelo's 'David'... has been marred by these hideous freckles!"

Liz couldn't keep a straight face any more. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or the general absurdity of her current situation, but for whatever reason she started laughing hysterically.

Thaddeus looked distraught at her reaction. "Laugh all you want, but I am still doomed. Aside from this disfigurement, I have also not aged since the day I was cursed... forced to watch those beloved by me grow older and further away..."

Liz's laughter died down. "Okay, to be fair, that part sounds bad. Is there any way to break this 'curse'?"

Thaddeus sat down in a plush armchair, and Liz followed suit as he spoke: "the enchantress who condemned me said that I can only break the curse by loving another more than I love myself..."

For Liz, that didn't seem like much of an ask, but from the short time she'd known Thaddeus Beck, she guessed that it must be a somewhat more difficult task for him. "Well, at least there's a way out!" she offered, "maybe you could start working towards finding love by leaving your mansion once in a while? And not locking up visitors?"

Judging by Thaddeus' dazed expression, Liz guessed that he wasn't keen on following her advice. Oh well - she wasn't here to break curses anyway. She was here for a repair job. "Alright then, I'll get on with this!" she announced, pointing Thaddeus towards the door as she began picking up the papers he'd strewn across the floor. He looked annoyed at being thrown out, but, thankfully, left without another word.

Finally left in peace, Liz laid out some of the sketches on the desk under the window, and had a good look. As Thaddeus had said, it was unclear what this device was for, but whatever it was, it was complex, and badly designed. Perhaps she'd have to stay here longer than expected after all...


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Liz awoke to find herself still sitting at the desk, blueprints sprawled around her. So last night's events _hadn't_ just been a bizarre dream... How unfortunate.

After a half-hearted attempt to make her hair look presentable, she headed downstairs, hoping to be given a breakfast before starting the day's work. She got lost in the manor's winding corridors a couple of times but eventually made it to what appeared to be the kitchen. There wasn't a whole lot of edible-looking food on offer, so Liz just grabbed a small bread roll and a glass of water before heading back.

 _At least there's no sign of Thaddeus this morning. He'd just get in the way with his stupid flouncy cape,_ she thought, just before turning a corner and finding herself face-to-face with the man in question. Speak of the devil. And he still had his hood up, concealing his face.

"Jeez, you scared the life out of me!" she exclaimed.

Thaddeus chuckled to himself. "Good morning, Miss Maximoff. I see you helped yourself to breakfast."

"Please, call me Liz, or Elizabeth if you prefer. And take that ridiculous cloak off! I've seen what you look like."

Her host hesitated before pulling back his hood.

"Much better, thank you," Liz smiled, "Now I'd best get to work - those designs you gave me were an utter shambles!"

Thaddeus looked offended, and opened his mouth to argue, but Liz had already pushed past him and walked off.

* * *

By the end of the day, and by the end of the next, Liz was no closer to fixing the multiple problems with Thaddeus' designs.

"It would be helpful if I could see the device in person, rather than just on paper," she explained to him at breakfast on her third day in the manor (he had insisted she sit and eat with him at mealtimes ever since she'd raided the kitchen without permission. It was extremely awkward).

"I'm afraid I can't. It's a classified job for the government, and I'm already risking too much by even showing you the plans!" Thaddeus explained, with his usual theatrical flair. Liz often found herself wishing he'd tone it down a bit, but at least his melodramatic ways made her laugh.

"Well, if you're already risking everything, what does it matter? Besides, if I can get it fixed, I can leave you in peace," Liz replied, _and I can finally go back to normality,_ she added, silently.

Thaddeus thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. It is simply out of the question."

"Fine." Liz stood up abruptly and left him. Honestly, it was like he didn't even _want_ her to leave. 

Several hours later, however, as she sat at the desk correcting calculations, the doors of her room were thrown open. Thaddeus entered and announced, "Alright, I have changed my mind! Since you are so _clearly_ upset by all this, you may now follow me to the workshop. Bring the plans!"

Liz rolled her eyes, but eagerly gathered up her things and followed him. Finally, a real workshop! It had been days since she'd last been in her own, and she was missing it terribly.

"Right, here we are!" Thaddeus announced, several minutes and one convoluted route later. He pushed open the grand gothic doorway and ushered Liz inside.

Liz couldn't believe her eyes: this workshop had to be at least three times the size of her own, and was stacked to the brim with tools, materials, and gadgets (and one anachronistic taxidermy raven, which she decided to ignore). "Oh, wow... this is amazing!" she gasped.

"Yes, it is," replied Thaddeus, matter-of-factly, "now, here is the device I need you to look at."

The item in question was much smaller than Liz had imagined, and almost resembled a clockwork heart. The parts were so tiny, it was no wonder it was so difficult for Thaddeus to get the dimensions exact! "Well, I can see why you needed help. A project on so small a scale really needs an expert's hand. Having everything in front of me will make this so much quicker and easier!" she exclaimed.

"Good. I will leave you to it. Feel free to make use of anything you like in here - the workshop is all yours until you're finished." Thaddeus spoke as if such a gesture meant nothing. To Liz, however, it meant everything.

"Really? Oh, thank you!" she said, delighted, as she gave him a quick hug.

Thaddeus's freckled cheeks went pink, and he quickly turned and left with only a brief 'see you at dinner!' Liz took no notice, and immediately got to work. Suddenly, being forced to stay here didn't seem like such a bad thing at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Even with all the equipment she could ever imagine at her disposal, the 'simple' repair job was still taking Liz an age to complete. It had now been a week, and there were still a whole lot of Thaddeus' (rookie) mistakes to correct.

"Why didn't the government ask a _professional_ mechanic to help on such an important secret project?" Liz wondered aloud, as she perused a box full of tiny gears.

Thaddeus, who was lounging on a nearby workbench, gasped, offended. "I'll have you know that I _am_ a professional! A scientist, in fact!"

"Well a scientist isn't the same as an expert mechanic or gadgeteer, clearly," Liz scoffed, gesturing to the blueprints now pinned above the desk. It was almost completely covered in her corrections.

"But the government decided that a _scientist_ was the best option to help with their cyborg project, didn't they?" Thaddeus retorted.

"The government makes a lot of mistakes... wait- did you say 'cyborg project'? Is that what this is for?" Despite some concerns about the ethics of such a project, Liz couldn't help but be a intrigued.

Thaddeus clamped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. Keeping secrets obviously wasn't one of his talents. "Forget I said such a thing!" he exclaimed.

"Hmm... I probably won't, to be honest. I won't tell though... maybe."

Liz laughed at Thaddeus' look of dismay. Over the last few days, they had spent a great deal of time together, and she now found herself feeling at complete ease in his company. A very small part of her would probably even miss him when she went home... but that was silly, really. After all, he was still annoying, overly-dramatic, and allegedly cursed. She missed home too much to worry about leaving.

* * *

"So... what's your family like?" Thaddeus asked Liz at dinner the next day. He'd been making idle conversation like this all day - probably to prevent the topic of cyborgs being brought up again.

"It's just me and my dad, in our little shop. We're a small family, but I wouldn't want it any other way. How about you?" Liz replied.

"Well..." Thaddeus began, staring wistfully into the middle distance (and looking like a fool, Liz thought), "I haven't seen my family or even my beloved dog since the day I was cursed..."

He was probably about to say something else, but Liz couldn't stand his dramatic pauses, so she interrupted. "That sounds awful! I can't imagine being alone for so long - do you think you'll visit them again once your curse is lifted?"

"Perhaps. I hadn't really considered it. All has seemed lost since that fateful day..."

"Oh, please don't give up hope! One day you'll find a solution, I'm sure," Liz reassured him. She meant it too, even though she had only really said it to stop him from monologuing.

"Thank you for your confidence, Elizabeth. I... really appreciate it." Thaddeus looked surprised by the amount of truth behind his words.

Liz smiled at him. "Right, I'm off. I'll get a bit more work done then turn in for the night. See you in the morning!"

* * *

Several days later, and Liz was finally done with the repairs on the cyborg heart (her earlier assumptions about its appearance had been correct after all), and she and Thaddeus now stood by the manor's front door, ready to say their goodbyes.

"It's a shame I can't test it out properly," she admitted, "but I understand all your 'top secret' stuff has to stay that way."

"Thank you for your assistance... and for your company, too. I hadn't quite realised how lonely it was here." As he handed Liz an envelope of cash as payment for the repair, Thaddeus stared at the ground, like he was embarrassed by his admission.

Liz smiled and put an arm around him in a hug. "Aw, thank you too! Spending all this time with you was... less awful than expected!"

Thaddeus glared at her, and she laughed before adding, "if there are any more problems with the device, or anything really, just send me a letter, okay?"

"Understood. Thank you."

"No worries. Oh, and I hope this past week and a half has proved to you that mechanics is not just a 'man's job'!"

"Ah, yes. Indeed. My apologies for that earlier assumption..." Thaddeus looked sheepish.

Liz beamed at him. "Excellent! Then my work here is done. Goodbye, Thad! And good luck with that curse!"

"Goodbye, Elizabeth."

As Liz headed down the driveway and back to normality, she smiled. She couldn't wait to get home and tell her father all about her bizarre adventure... minus the government secrets, of course. Still, she couldn't help but admit that she'd miss seeing Thaddeus every day. Underneath all the melodrama and posturing, he was actually quite likeable.

Meanwhile, Thaddeus was adjusting to being alone again. As he wandered the halls of the manor like a restless spirit, he couldn't help but glance in a nearby mirror. What he saw reflected in it made him do a double-take.

The freckles were gone.


	5. Epilogue

In the weeks that followed, Thaddeus Beck, now free of his curse, began his return to London-in-the-Air society. He spoke to his family again, presented his scientific work to the government officials in person for once, and even started attending public events again. Everyone agreed that something had changed in him in the ten years he'd been missing, though nobody could figure out the cause.

Liz started making regular visits to the manor house. At first, these visits were just to help with random repair jobs, but soon they just became social calls. Lucas Maximoff was understandably sceptical about this at first, but seeing his daughter so happy banished any doubts. He trusted her judgement with regards to everything else, so why not this?

Together, Liz and Thaddeus made an unexpected couple, but somehow they made it work.

_And They Lived Happily Ever After..._

_The End._


End file.
